"You're Not Giving Yourself Enough Credit."

We don't think you're giving yourself enough credit.

Let us explain.

We've been in venues that deservedly receive 5 stars on Trip Advisor and we've been in venues that deservedly receive 2 stars.

But how is it that a venue gets a 5 Star Review on the same night that the SAME venue gets a 2 Star Review?

Food coming from the same kitchen.
Cocktails coming from the same bar.
Music coming from the same speakers.
And often, even served by the same server.

The biggest factor making the difference? Easy. That's would be YOU.

Wait, wait, wait. Are we suggesting that the guest coming into the venue has an impact on the Trip Advisor Star Rating? 
Are we suggesting that our own attitudes, expectations, and vibe help contribute to a venue's star rating? 
Are we suggesting that the dining guest actually helped create and contributed to their own 2 Star or 5 Star experience?

Absolutely.

While we've never seen a Restaurant Manager respond to a critical or applauding guest review with these beliefs, we think they should.

Guest: " Trip Advisor: 5 Stars!!!!"



--Thank you for your very positive comments. While we are very pleased that you appreciated our efforts to make your night as enjoyable and as memorable as possible, I actually applaud you. When you came to our venue, you greeted the staff with joy, you had a warm friendly vibe within your group, and your humor was pleasantly welcomed by staff and other guests alike. I'm glad that we could come together and co-collaboratively create a wonderful dinner for you. We could not have done it without your playful anticipation for a good night. Our 5 Star review that you have given {xxxxxx xxxxxx} is as much about you as it is about us. Thanks again."


--xxxxxx xxxxx -- Restaurant Manager


Or on the other hand:
Guest:"Trip Advisor: 2 Stars"

We had dinner last night and we felt totally let down. Our wait for our table, despite making a reservation last week, was over 30 minutes. The bar staff totally ignored us and getting a menu from any of the servers was like pulling teeth. While we did like the wine list, and the sommelier was helpful, the mains lacked creativity and passion. Further, the starters we had heard so much about were totally bland. Desserts? We didn't ask, nor were we asked. Can't really recommend this place."



''Thank you for your feedback and notes on your visit with us last week. It's unfortunate that your experience did not match up with what you had hoped for. While we agree that we have much to accomplish before we are where we want to be, I'd like to ask you for a little bit more information on your visit, especially on your experiences leading up to your visit with us. While we are not neglecting any of our efforts at making the guest experience better for all guests, we did notice that many guests visiting the same evening that you did had a very different experience. This is not to discredit your notes, we're very appreciative, thank you, but could perhaps any events leading up to your visit with us have tainted your experience with us? While we are a firm believer that our guests contribute significantly to many positive experiences, we also feel that a bad experience is also co-creative. For this, we apologize for our shared responsibility in this."

--xxxxxx xxxxx -- Restaurant Manager

We agree, that while we believe this, most guests that have had a bad experience are not willing to believe this.

Sure, for a good experience guests are willing to take credit for the experience. ("Our laughs, our friends, our conversation" all contributed to a good night). But then why is a bad experience often blamed strictly on the restaurant itself?

Shouldn't it go both ways? Shouldn't the guest hold significant and shared responsibility for a bad experience? Shouldn't a guest that had a bad experience look at the role they helped create? We're they in a bad mood before visiting? Had they had a bad day at work? We're they exhausted from a long week at work and not in the mood for a good time? Was the company that they were with on their phone for the whole meal leaving their partner annoyed and ignored?

Sure, this won't be the case at all time, but it definitely needs exploring. And, it needs to be understood that we helped shape and create the experiences were in.

Guests, in collaboration with the restaurant, should hold the self-empowerment for both the positive and negative experiences.

Are diners ready to accept this?